The Archive |
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The whole nation owes President Clinton a debt of gratitude for his recent scandal.
I've never seen our Congressmen so happy! Not only Henry Hyde, the eloquent old adulterer himself, but Democrats as well. Before saying the President's actions don't add up to impeachment and conviction, they have all, with furrowed brows, admitted that his behavior was "reprehensible, outrageous, indefensible!" There's even a choice of the President's crimes -- most of the Congressmen are aghast at the President's Oval Office hankypanky, but hoped to catch him on perjury or obstruction of justice. Hyde, with singular viewpoint, had the guts to stress that "this case is not about sex; that is a personal matter and nobody else's business, and this case is about perjury, lying!" It's been a time for colorful rhetoric; Tom Harkin, Democratic of Iowa, has claimed the case against Clinton is a "pile of dung!" The media have all been in seventh heaven! Not since O.J.'s trial have they had such a juicy topic to harp on day in, day out! Even the venerable New York Times, motto: "All the news that's fit to print," has relished front page coverage every day, with lots of pages inside with full texts of Linda Tripp and Monica, the President's interrogation, the stained dress, all the dirt that's fit to print. TV is going to soon be talk-less. No Monica, no Linda, no "outrageous" scowls toward the highest official in our land. Larry King and Wolf Blitzer have had a wondrous world of senators, legal experts and any charming people with charisma and an opinion for or against. It doesn't really matter. Just so they can keep pulling out the taffy of scandal and high ratings. I had to admire the stamina of these two men, faced with hashing and rehashing the same old story with no twists of plot or surprises, day after day, night after wearisome night. Only once did I catch Larry King in a spontaneous chuckle and mutter, "You know, a lot of people across the country think we're crazy!" Blitzer slipped once too, citing "people all around this country and the world who think we're nuts!" But, bless their CNN-loving hearts and steel stomachs, there they were looking as if they really cared about the dried-out scandal the next day and the next and ... No matter that life-long Republicans have openly stated their protest to the party's dragged-out hounding of the president -- the Republican Congressmen are dedicated to their vengeance upon a man they haven't been able to topple, who dares to still charm most of the populace. Clinton does have amazing retention of loyalty from our people. Of course from the Organization of Unfaithful Spouses and those with the openmindedness of the French. But many see his offense as offensive but not nearly so offensive as the Simon Legree bloodhound pursuit of the President for six years by Ken Starr. Smiling sweetly as he may, Starr's persona is compared only to the treachery of Linda Tripp. People may wonder why Clinton hasn't signed onto the treaty to ban landmines, doesn't fight for participating in the fight against global warning, and maintains sanctions against Iraq that cause deaths of thousands every month, not to mention his bombing of innocents that only turns the Iraqis against us, not Saddam. But the Republicans and their puppet, Ken Starr, have embarrassed not only the president, but our whole country. They have made Clinton into an underdog, a sort of Orphan Annie we want to protect. They don't even appreciate how happy he has made them all. February 12, 1999
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